Medicine

Vitus flatly refused. "Your Highness, I'm here to escort the goods. The armor, crossbows, and siege cannons have already been handed over to your army, and Lord Di Maggio is waiting to be paid. I need to return to Italy as soon as possible."

After bidding farewell to Bourges, Vitus set off south with his mercenary company.

Along the way, he heard that a rebellion had broken out in Bordeaux. The newly appointed mayor had been burned to death. Although the French army crushed the uprising, the entire city had suffered extensive damage and would be unable to provide tax revenue for some time.

On reflection, he felt the rebellion in Bordeaux had not been a coincidence.

First, England had a rainy climate that was poor for growing grapes, so it needed to import large quantities of wine. Bordeaux happened to be a first-rate wine-producing region, and the two places had developed complementary industries. Now that France had reclaimed Bordeaux, local wine sales would plummet, naturally stirring resentment among the residents.

Second, ever since Eleanor of Aquitaine had married Henry II in 1152, England had ruled Bordeaux for 270 years. The locals had long since accepted the status quo and, instead, saw the French army as invaders.

"Relations among medieval nobles are far too complicated. England and France are tangled up together, and a great many French nobles are fence-sitters. If I stay any longer, who knows when I'll be stabbed in the back by my own allies? In the original timeline, for instance, one city shut its gates early and stranded Joan of Arc's troops outside, which led to her capture by the Burgundian army."

In June, Vitus returned to Florence. From afar, he saw that the dome of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore was still unfinished. Construction on the building had begun in 1296, and it had been under construction for more than a century. At the current pace, it was said to be decades away from opening.

"Why hasn't the city council allocated funds to speed things up? Back in the day, Justinian the Great ordered Hagia Sophia rebuilt in 532, and it was finished in just five years."

Vitus grumbled inwardly as he followed familiar streets to Di Maggio's residence and told Giulio about his recent experiences.

"...From what I've seen, France is Europe's best farming region, and its strength clearly surpasses England's. As long as it ends its internal conflicts, its vast size will eventually let it defeat England. I suggest you wait a few more years. There may be an unexpected turn of events."

When he finished, he had someone bring in a copper chest containing the payment the Dauphin had made for the goods. Giulio scooped up a handful of coins and let them trickle between his fingers.

"This amount is only enough to cover the costs. Are you saying I should keep supplying them at low prices until the French army wins?

"Forget that for now. A letter arrived from Constantinople not long ago. They've agreed to your marriage to Agnes. I plan to choose a suitable time for your engagement ceremony. What do you think?"

Since the emperor had no objections, Vitus readily agreed. He accompanied Giulio to his country estate, where he met the envoys sent by the Eastern Roman Empire: Savard, a civil official, and Lucas, a centurion.

"Your Highness, we meet again. This is the emperor's own letter."

Lucas looked Vitus over repeatedly. It had been two years since they last met, and the prince had been tempered by the battlefield. He was no longer as slight as before; his former scholarly air had vanished, replaced by competence and decisiveness.

Vitus opened the letter. It contained two main points:

Since he was to have an engagement ceremony, he had to publicly acknowledge himself as "Vitus Palaiologos." From then on, his words and actions would represent the Eastern Roman imperial family, and he could not act recklessly.

Second, Andronikos Palaiologos, the third prince, was gravely ill. The emperor wanted Vitus to hire Gennaro Goneiqiya, a renowned physician in Florence. Once the engagement ceremony was over, Vitus was to return home as soon as possible, both to hold the wedding and to have the doctor treat Andronikos.

"Gennaro?" Vitus scratched his head and asked Giulio where the renowned physician could be found: the University of Florence (Studium florentinum).

"Let's hope his medical skill lives up to his reputation."

Vitus left the engagement preparations to others and went alone to the southern part of Florence, where he found a courtyard near the Basilica of San Miniato al Monte.

At first glance, the University of Florence was not as grand as he had imagined. The streets were quiet, ivy climbed the stone walls, and the air was fragrant with flowers and herbs. Only the lily emblem above the entrance revealed its identity.

Following the old gatekeeper's directions, Vitus went to a three-story stone building. He crossed the cloistered courtyard and saw more than a dozen students sitting beneath an oak tree, each with a wax tablet on his lap, studying Cicero's De Finibus Bonorum et Malorum under a professor's instruction.

At this time, universities had seven basic subjects: grammar, rhetoric, logic, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music. Once students had passed all of them, they could choose a field of advanced study from theology, medicine, or law and earn a doctorate.

He didn't disturb the students. Tiptoeing up to the second floor, he suddenly caught the sharp stench of blood.

Heavy curtains hung in the room, and whale-oil candles cast a bright glow. More than twenty students crowded around, watching the professor's every move.

"Pay close attention. I had to petition the city council for a full month to hold this dissection class. Alas, Florence's facilities still can't compare with Padua's. Before you become practicing physicians, I recommend that you spend some time training at Padua's medical school..."

Beside the dissection table, a bespectacled professor worked with a knife, explaining the structure of the human body as he went. The overpowering mix of rosemary and rotting flesh made Vitus cover his nose and mouth. He watched quietly from a corner until the melodious chime of bells rang outside.

When the lesson ended, the professor removed his gloves and abruptly pulled open the room's black curtains. The slanting rays of the setting sun poured in, and the sudden brightness made everyone squint.

At that moment, two figures stood up on the right side of the lectern: a priest from the Inquisition and an inspector from the city council. They took out a small booklet and began making notes, confirming that neither the professor nor the students had committed blasphemy or performed any black magic rituals.

They also recorded everyone's names, including that of a young man who had come in midway through the lesson.

"I'm Vitus Palaiologos, the fourth son of Emperor Manuel. I've been ordered to invite the professor to Constantinople to treat my elder brother."

Since he was a member of the royal family, the priest and the inspector did not press him. Covering their noses and mouths, they left this "unclean place," seeming eager to get away.

After another ten minutes or so, the medical students gradually filed out. Vitus formally invited Gennaro to go to the Eastern Roman Empire. "Besides a generous fee, you'll also be able to read all kinds of books in the imperial palace's collection, including works by ancient Greek physicians such as Hippocrates and Galen."

As a practicing physician of many years, Gennaro had a keen interest in Hippocrates. "I'm sick to death of Florence's rules. Most of our dissection classes have to use deer and rabbits instead, and we have to put up with the church meddling in everything. The neighbors think I'm a sorcerer; some of them even go out of their way to avoid me. In that case, I may as well try somewhere new. When do we leave?"

"In about half a month. We'll take a ship from Livorno after the engagement ceremony."